Thank you Pan Macmillan Australia for inviting me to be part of the BLOG TOUR for this wonderful book!
Synopsis
Kate, a quiet boarder, making some risky choices to pursue the experimental music she loves.
Clem, shrugging off her old swim-team persona, exploring her first sexual relationship, and trying to keep her annoying twin, Iris, at arm’s length.
Ady, grappling with a chaotic family, and wondering who her real friends are; she’s not the confident A-lister she appears to be.
When St Hilda’s establishes a Year 10 Wellness Program in response to the era of cyber-bullying, the three girls are thrown together and an unlikely friendship is sparked. One thing they have in common: each is targeted by PSST, a site devoted to gossip and slander that must have a source within St Hilda’s.
Who can you trust when rumour is the new truth?
Title: Take Three Girls
Authors: Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell, Fiona Wood
Pages: 423
Genre: contemporary, feminism, young adult
Release Date: August 29, 2017
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Link to buy book here.
Buy: Dymocks, Booktopia
My thoughts
Take Three Girls reminded me of a bowl of chips. It’s so more-ish and I couldn’t stop myself from devouring it. The three girls (our three protagonists) are distinguished by font and voice, so I could easily tell their perspectives apart; I loved all of them. Their secrets, aspirations, personalities. I wished I could break rules for them and free them.
We follow: Ady (Adelaide), a perceived “popular girl” whose family has money problems, and her father is a drug addict. Clem, a twin (to Iris), a sex positive character, struggling with self esteem and identity. And Kate, a musician at heart, with pressure from her family to become a doctor. I didn’t think they’d work together, but was completely and utterly surprised by how much I loved their dynamic.
“The standard you walk past is the one you accept.”
Gems like the one above crop up throughout the entire book. ❤ These little nuggets made me tear up, it was just empowering and encouraging to read about in a YA novel! I’m a big sook, I know.
As the synopsis suggests, the Wellness Program plays an intrinsic role in Take Three Girls. Each character writes journal entries in response to weekly prompts plus, we get to see their experiences relating to their lives in between each entry. This broke up the way I read the book, it felt faster because of these sections, and more personal, too. The voices were so clear, I loved getting into Clem’s fiery mind, Ady’s cool facade, and Kate’s ambition.
The online forum PSST (Private School Secrets Tracker) is brutal. Vile comments are made about the girls at St.Hilda’s, including Ady, Clem, and Kate. This, unfortunately, isn’t a gross exaggeration of how disgusting people can be online, but each of the girls handles it in a different way. It was sad but also uplifting, the way these three supported each other. After being forced into a group together they form an unlikely bond and stick together.
I really want to go into specifics because it brought tears to my eyes, but I CAN’T because SPOILERS. So you’ll have to just find out for yourselves. This book made me wiggle with how cute it was! But it also made me wanna hold it up to a crowd, like Rafiki did with Simba, and go, “Read thiiiiiis!” It’s just incredibly important, especially to see girls supporting other girls, rather being pit against each other as rivals. So refreshing to see support and care rather than cattiness and rivalry!
The growth these characters encounter is heartbreaking but so fulfilling, their support of each other solidifies what a true friend is. Take Three Girls is most definitely about identity and courage. It took three girls to fight the rumours and, well, I can’t really tell you what happens, can I?
I wish this was a book I’d read at 15, not 24. But I am so, so happy it exists now. The comments it raises about Clem’s self esteem, about Ady’s realisation of true friendship, about Kate’s ambition and trust and decision making… it was all so poignant and believable. PLUS, Take Three Girls also points out how destructive an online forum can be, how personal it can get, which is incredibly true of online bullying in real life; it demonstrated that no matter how you deal with it, a support network of friends is key, and that can get you through it.
This book was so engaging, emotive, feminist and relevant, I’d definitely recommend it. ❤
Rating
4 / 5 stars
Thanks again to Pan Macmillan for inviting me to be on the blog tour for this incredible book!
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